Volume 4, No. 3, March 2003

In Feb.15 nearly one-and-a-half crore people in 600 cities/towns over 60 countries came out onto the streets protesting against the US’s planned war against Iraq. Never before, in the history of wars has there been such a massive outburst against an impending war, throughout the world. And this was soon after similar rallies were held just a month earlier on Jan.18-19th.

The rallies were the largest in those countries planning to participate in the war and/or supporting the US initiative.

It reflected the globalisation of protest. Never before have such large nuber of people rallied for a political cause, throughout the world, on a single day. Never before has there been such a gigantic upsurge against the war clouds of an imperialist monster. As we go to the press reports are still comming in from different corners of the world.

Demonstrations took place all over Britain, with the rally in London attracting 15 lakh people. This was the largest gathering ever in the history of the country. Many of those attending were ordinary citizens who would never have attended such rallies before. Also present were well-known film actors, writers, playwrights, poets, academics, singers, MPs, civil rights activists, religious groups, and even old-aged pensioners. The trade unions also participated in large numbers. Yet, the shameless Prime Minister, Blair, Bush’s lapdog, continued his war-mongering mantras.

In the US itself, rallies took place in 150 cities throughout the country. The demonstration in New York, at the UN Headquarters, witnessed 7½ lakh people gather in protest, inspite of ice-cold weather. Voice of America gave extensive coverage to the 50 demonstrators who rallied in support of the war!! Police were present in huge force, with clashes leading to the arrest of over 250 people and to the injury of eight policemen. But the Bush gangsters and the oil/weapons mafia are unconcerned and continue their preparations.

In Australia, whose government is yet another US puppy, witnessed nearly 6 lakh demonstrators on the streets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and many other cities in countrywide protests. Given the small size of the population of this country, it meant that nearly 8% of the entire adult population of the country was on the streets that day protesting against the impending war on Iraq.

Rally in London

The biggest rally of all was in Rome, where a gigantic 25 lakh people rallied, not only against the US, but also against Italian right-wing government's blind support to the US war against Iraq.

In Spain too, where the government supports the US war effort, rallies of unprecedented size took place throughout the country — 15 lakhs in Madrid, 15 lakhs in Barcelona, 3 lakhs in Velencia, 2 lakhs each in Seville and Oviedo and one lakh each in Cadiz, Bilbao and Las Palmas.

For a detailed account of the large gatherings throughout the world see the chart on page 5.

Throughout January demonstrations were taking place with the focus being on the global protest for the week-end of Jan 18-19th. Demonstrations took place in 38 countries on these dates.

In the US the 5 lakhs that gathered at Washington DC on Jan.18th and the 2 lakhs that rallied at San Francisco, was mobilized under the broad banner of the International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racisms) Coalition. At the Washington rally top Hollywood stars, including Al Pachino, performed a Brecht play depicting Bush as a Hitler. Also present at the rally were singers Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt, Trade Union leaders from the AFL-CIO and New York City Labour Against War, and also elements from the establishment like Jesse Jackson and the former US Attorney General, Ramsey Clark. Slogans like No Blood for Oil, No War Against Iraq, Down With Bush, resounded through the air. Rallies also took place in other cites throughout America, including those with a right-wing history like in Georgia, Miami, etc. Unlike the Vietnam days where most of the rallies were confined to the students, it is said that the present rallies have attracted ordinary citizens from the working and middle-classes, who have never attended such events earlier.

Britain witnessed rallies throughout the country, with thousands of trade unionists mobilizing against the war and lots of workplace groups being established. In Central London these included a group at the Guardian newspaper, tube workers, health workers, IT workers, media workers and lecturers. Thousands of people wore Stop the War badges at their workplace. Campaigners have addressed anti-war meetings of shop stewards at the ACDelco engineering factory, at Ford Halewood and at the Vauxhall plant. City center rallies in numerous cities like Plymouth, Bradford, in a number of towns of Wales and Scotland, etc., attracted people from the local workplaces, schools and colleges. The anti-war movement is said to be spreading from Buxton to Bridgewater — reaching to small towns and even villages. Rail workers in Motherwell, near Glasgow refused to move a train carrying ammunition for use against Iraq. Around 250 anti-war activists blocked the road at the US military base at Northwood, West London. Also, protestors have been protesting and distributing handbills at naval bases throughout UK, delaying the departure of warships.

In Canada demonstrations took place in 30 cities stretching from coast to coast: 15,000 in Vancouver, 25,000 in Montreal, 15,000 in Toronto, thousands in Saskatoon and smaller actions elsewhere. About 50 anti-war protestors shivered their way through a demonstration outside the Toronto weapons-system manufacturing company, saying that the plant contained "weapons of mass destruction" as deadly as any in Iraq. Members of a Group braved sub-zero temperatures to protest at the Northrop Grumman plant in Toronto. Its leader stated, "UN inspectors are in Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction, and here we have them in Canada".

In France 2 lakh demonstrators took to the streets in 40 different towns and cities. In Germany, the days coincided with the traditional yearly demonstration in Berlin in memory of Rosa Luxamburg and Karl Liebnecht. Protests also took place in Rostock (East Germany), Florance (Italy), Gothenburg (Sweden), Brussels (Belgium), etc.

In Japan a number of anti-war demonstrations took place with thousands gathering at the center of Tokyo. One poster depicted Bush as a kimono-clad war-lord, with prime ministers Koizumi and Blair as his retainers.

Simultaneous demonstrations were held in Ireland, Egypt, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Jordan, Syria, Honk Kong, Russia, Pakistan and a number of other countries of the world.

As the peace movement builds up, the war clouds continue to gather. First Afghanistan, now Iraq, then maybe North Korea or any other country of the world that does not fully bow to US dictates. As long as imperialism exists war is inevitable. And as the economic crisis deepens the contention for markets grows; and this desperation promotes wars of aggression. The battle for Iraq is basically for its oil. It is not merely against the sovereignty of Iraq, but is also a step forward for US imperialism to consolidate its supremacy against potential imperialist rivals, particularly from Europe. With the capture of Afghanistan and Iraq, and thereby control over the bulk of Cental Asian and West Asian Oil (and gas), the US stands to gain, not only gigantic profits, but also strategic dependence on it of the other imperialists for its energy needs. War for these imperialists, is nothing but the continuation of politics (and economics) by other means. People of the world need to oppose such wars tooth and nail, and use all means to do so — whether peaceful or violent.

It is unfortunate that the peace movement has made an obsession of non-violence when they are fighting the most violent forces in the world. Monsters like the US imperialists, who have already butchered millions, could not care a damn for such ‘ethical’ methods of struggle. They only know the language of brute force; and it is only a powerful peoples force that can make them bend. Such force is impotent if it confines itself to non-violent methods. In the final analysis, it is only intensified people’s wars that can prevent these imperialist sponsored wars; but till this is built on a much larger scale, it requires far more militant actions to stem the tide of war.

Besides, to end such wars for ever, requires to end the system — imperialism — that breeds it; and replace it by a non-exploitative system. This is not recognized by the bulk of the anti-war movement, as few accept socialism, which is the only possible alternative to the existing inhuman system. So, inevitably the anti-war movement collapses once the event passes by, as happened after the conclusion of the Vietnam war. But, with the crisis of imperialism deepening, horrifying wars are inevitable — either directly involving imperialist powers, particularly the US, or by satraps of the US, like the Indian rulers. It is not a coincidence that a large number of countries, with the US in the lead, have begun building up their military budgets, on a scale not seen since the end of the cold war. The Indian ruling classes is a major culprit with one of the biggest military imports in the world and its war-mongering designs on Pakistan and other South Asian neighbours.

The Indian rulers surreptitiously supported the US in the first Iraq war in 1991, while publicly opposing it. Since then it has gone deep into the US/Israeli quagmire. Its present opposition is not to be trusted, when it comes to the crux. Already in the Feb. 19 session of the Lok Sabha the BJP govt. has begun to equivocate Jaswant Singh went so far as to parrot Bush saying that the UNSC "cannot wait indefinitely" for Baghdad’s compliance. The people of India must rally to not only oppose the war on Iraq; but more particularly the war designs of the Indian rulers against its neighbours. Today, diplomatic relations with Pakistan have been pushed to one of its lowest levels ever; it only requires a tacit nod from the US to unleash the full fury of its military might against that country and people. Such wars and the military build-up come with a heavy cost to the people of our country, already stalked by droughts, famines and extreme impoverisation.

The call today must be for the people of all countries to rally against the war designs of US imperialism and all its stooges throughout the world. In backward countries it is people’s wars that alone can stem the tide of the reactionary wars. The ‘peace’ movement must support such wars that stand for justice and are the most effective bulwark against reactionary wars. Not doing so, will have disastrous effects on the anti-war movement, in the long run. The people’s wars and the other progressive movements must march in step against a common enemy.

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